BI to help repatriate survivors of sunken Myanmar ship

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will assist in the repatriation of the nine survivors of the Myanmar cargo ship that sank off Bolinao town in Pangasinan on Saturday.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. yesterday said Kyi Win, Khin Maung Win, Aung Kyaw Khine, Aung Thu Nyein, Win Saw, Win Min Thein, Aung San Win, Thant Zin Moe, and Cho Aye would be sent home as soon as the Myanmar embassy issues their travel documents.

“We feel we are duty-bound to facilitate the repatriation of these seamen because they are in distress. Their homecoming should not be unnecessarily delayed,” David added.

The BI has been monitoring the developments of the search and rescue operation of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the local government of Bolinao.

BI Bay Service Action chief Theodore Pascual said that the Myanmar nationals have been under the custody of immigration officials in Region 1 since the mishap occurred last Feb. 16.

The nine crewmembers of the M/V Arita Bauxite were turned over by immigration officials to the Myanmar embassy last Feb. 18.

Out of the 24 crewmen, the ship’s cook Mying Aung was confirmed dead, two were injured and seven survived the sinking of the ship.

The remaining 14, while classified as “missing,” are believed to have been trapped inside the ship.

Based on the account of the chief engineer, it appeared that the 14 men might have already perished because at the time when the ship began to sink, they were still at the engine room trying to repair the ship’s engine.

The 30,000 gross ton M/V Arita Bauxite, in just a span of seven minutes, sank deep into the sea, at the depth of 1,038 fathoms or 6,216 feet.

On the other hand, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the oil slick in the area where the vessel had sunk was “only negligible.”

BFAR center chief Westly Rosario said the initial findings in the area where the oil slick appeared showed that it would not adversely affect the waters off Bolinao.

The oil slick measured only 2.5 kilometers long by .5 kilometer wide and the total area of the oil slick is 1.25 square kilometers, he said.

The ship sunk about 1.5 nautical miles off Bolinao port.

“If you compare the Bolinao port to a palm of a person, the oil slick was only a cut portion of a long nail,” Rosario said, adding that this means “it is insignificant.”– With Eva Visperas